He’s young and old. He’s lean and bloated. He’s black and white. He’s country and soul. He’s rich and poor. He’s sober and addicted. He’s spiritual and sinful. He’s Tupelo and Graceland. He’s Elvis.

Suppose Elvis was revived in his bathroom at Graceland. What if an ambulance arrived in time and the King was brought back to life in August 1977? “He would be singing gospel music, and he would be ...